Gen Z is changing tourism like never before – They love exotic experiences and private accommodations and consider internet more important than restrooms

Unfortunately, the Statistical Office of Republic of Serbia, which keeps track of the tourist turnover in Serbia, doesn`t have the data on the age groups of tourists that vacation in Serbia.

According to the surveys conducted by the TOS, out of the total number of foreign tourists that visited Serbia in July and August 2021, 33% are in the 18-29 age group, followed by tourists in the 30-39 age group (19%) and tourist in the 40-49 age group (18%).

– The great turnover in the 18-29 age group shows that our tourist offer is attractive to young people who are just starting to discover its beauty and are building up their travel experience. Foreign Gen Z tourists have mostly visited Belgrade, Novi Sad, Zlatibor and they opted for private accommodations, hostels and camps. The satisfaction with their stay in Serbia was over 95%, the TOS states.


Young foreigners go to festivals in Serbia

The Secretary of Tourism Association of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce, Tijana Maljkovic, thinks this is a very interesting tourist category. She reminds that this is a generation born in the digital age, and they do the so-called virtual tours through other peoples photos, social networks, profiles and Youtube videos and browse through comments of their online friends before choosing a destination.

– They usually choose destinations through recommendations and they always avoid commercial trips. Surveys done for mainly American and Western European markets show that the majority of Gen Z-ers always pick novel destinations, that are not as popular and by default, visit foreign countries more than going to local destinations. The majority choose last-minute offers, Tijana Maljkovic explains for eKapija.

Tourists in the 18-25 age group are interested in visiting festivals in Serbia and usually arrive during Spring or Autumn, our collocutor notices.

– In rural areas, eco-tourism and glamping, outdoors vacation and connection with the locals are more popular, Maljkovic notes.

And where are these types of guests staying? Abroad they prefer Airbnbs. The situation is similar in Serbia. Having in mind that young people prefer private accommodations than hotels, it becomes clear why they are not a target group for hotelkeepers in Belgrade and Serbia. But there`s a chance to change that if we take into consideration the survey of the European Travel Commission (ETC) which shows that these tourists take low-cost flights but prefer pricier hotels (4 and 5 stars).

– Destinations that have branded themselves as attractive to business guests, the so-called MICA destinations, will not consider Gen Z-ers as their target group. Belgrade has the largest number of business guests and that`s mostly why hotel managers haven`t targeted these guests. Gen Z generally prefers private lodgings because they are comfortable, fully furnished and spacious. Looking at the overall costs of travel, a larger percentage of money is spent on pricier accommodations and they almost always use low-cost airlines and cheaper transport, Maljkovic explains.


They can go without public restrooms but access to Internet is a must

After arriving and making themselves at home in a well-furnished lodging, what else do these guests expect from a certain holiday spot? The ETC survey indicates that young people expressed an interest in gastronomy while traveling – 75% list trying out local cuisine as the main activity on their travels. Among other activities listed are shopping, night life, city culture, museums and tradition.

– They don`t stay long in one place which is why those types of visitors are attracted by authentic and active tours and gastronomic experiences that also include preparing the food themselves with local produce and people because they value challenges and self-promotion in things none of their social network friends have tried before, our collocutor explains.

Gen Z is also known as being more environmentally conscious than previous generations, which is why the data from Telus International`s survey shows that up to 54% of Gen Z-ers are ready to pay extra for a service that complies with environmental principles.

– Most choose “eco friendly” accommodations and the local modes of transport. They love using bikes, scooters, they engage in cycling, hiking, walking everywhere and they regularly consume local dishes, explore local wines and famous regional chefs. They will spend more money on a better restaurant and almost always document their on-the-spot experiences in photos with comments about tastiness of the food and what it reminds them of. Gen Z-ers almost make no difference between a sustainable holiday and, say, alternative type of accommodations which can also be somewhere in the unexplored natural landscape without electricity or restrooms because experience is what matters to them. They are open to new things, creative in making souvenirs but must have a good Internet connection and direct contact with the locals through social networks in case they have any questions or doubts, Maljkovic says.

That is why our collocutor advises hoteliers to invest in good Internet connection, digital education of their employees and to offer a good-natured and homely relationship and personal contact to these guests because those details will sweep them off their feet.

– Rural areas should have organized tours to local households and set up traditional dishes tasting events where guests can sample the local produce while preparing the dish with the host. Open communication, personal touch and round-the-clock services will receive the best comments and recommendations on social media. The importance of new generations is immense but they also bring new challenges and adaptive techniques for the entire industry. For decades now, including the era of Gen Z, the people have been he most important “flavour” of every trip and holiday destinations; their charm, character, smile, differences in culture, traditions, colours and hospitality are what makes them so exotic and popular, Tijana Maljkovic concludes.


Serbian youth loves Zlatibor and Kopaonik

What is the case with Serbian youth? Do they travel domestically? Which destinations are they visiting? According to the data collected in the TOS`s “Survey of attitudes and behaviours of domestic tourists that spent their vacations in Serbia in 2020”, 22% out of all travelers surveyed were in the 18-29 age group.

– The prime holiday destination for domestic tourists ages of 18 to 29 were Serbian mountains, followed by cities, spas and lakes. Out of all tourist destinations, Zlatibor, Kopaonik, Vrnjacka Banja, Sokobanja, Belgrade and Novi Sad recorded most visits. Main reasons for travel were “Natural attractions”, “Rest/relaxation”, “Cultural and historical heritage” and “Proximity of a tourist destination”. Arguably the largest number of tourists (77%) chose private accommodations, and over 97% were satisfied with their vacation, TOS states.

Based on the structure of social media followers and the increasing number of young influencers who picked the tourist offer of Serbia as a topic for their creative stories, TOS concluded that young people in Serbia were interested in getting to know their country. TOS states that this year it will continue its Experience Serbia! Campaign in addition to participating in 10 international fairs this as well as bringing over 100 international reporters, TV crews and influencers and 50 travel organizations to Serbia.

– We will continue our current campaign aimed at domestic tourists, and it will be as intensive as before. We will travel to over 20 tourist destinations together with domestic reporters and influencers. Following advertising trends, we will realize a great deal of our activities through online communication channels because over 70% of tourists get relevant information that way when deciding about visiting Serbia, but we certainly won`t neglect traditional marketing channels either, TOS says.

Greek islands are exotic destinations for Serbian tourists

When it comes to the choice of foreign tourist destinations, domestic young travelers are different from their peers abroad. While their peers like to discover exotic destinations, ideal holiday spots for young people in Serbia are Greek islands and European destinations, Filip Stojanovic, Project Manager at Balkan Fun tourist agency reveals for eKapija.

According to him, young people consider price a relevant factor when choosing where to travel because of the limited budget. Thanks to technological advancement, it is now easier to compare the offer of various tourist agencies, to compare prices and choose the offer with the best price-quality value.

– Young travelers from Serbia are definitely most attracted to European destinations. Exotic destinations outside Europe are a lot more expensive, and those trips constitute a negligible part of the market when it comes to Gen Z. Trips around Serbia also have a smaller share in the overall tourist offer aimed at young people, unless we`re talking about high-school excursions. Summer vacations are still the most sold among young travelers. I would single out Greek islands which have been the ideal vacation spots for young people in Serbia for years back, Stojanovic says.

Even though the same destinations are still as popular as before, travel plans change, our collocutor notices. In his opinion, the focus changed from resting and relaxing to new experiences. Conventional trips are no longer in, and travel agencies focused on the younger population have found it a challenge to constantly improve and respond to market demands.

– Considering we have a thirteen-year experience in youth tourism, we can testify to big changes in young people`s motivation for traveling. With the rise of social media, young people began wanting to experience and create even more interesting content, in order to meet the ever-increasing social demands of their surroundings. Things and experiences that are not interesting for social networks have stopped being interesting to the travelers themselves, Stojanovic says.

The traveler`s expectations and perceptions on the quality of lodging and content of a destination have also changed.

– Due to the rise of social networks, browsers and online platforms such as Booking.com and TripAdvisor, young travelers have access more information and their expectations are in tune with that. I`m glad that tourists are now more aware and more educated regarding the choice of a travel destination because it also encourages travel agencies to constantly improve and closely follow market demands, Stojanovic concludes.

Marija Dedic